


Forewarned

by Ganymeme



Series: Differences [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, mention of the secret companion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 18:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2517464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ganymeme/pseuds/Ganymeme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the eve of the Landsmeet, a conversation is had.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forewarned

The night was quiet and cold. Anora braced herself on the stone of the balcony wall and stared unseeing towards the harbour. Behind her Mahariel paced restlessly and Warden Riordan sat.

“Well?” She queried the chill air. “Have you an answer, Warden?”

The pacing stopped.

“If his death be needful, will we still have your support?”

Blunt, as usual, but the woman’s voice sounded guarded. Anora fought a shiver and watched her knuckles turn white.

“Of course,” she said, and oh she was proud that her voice didn’t shake, “The Blight needs to be stopped.”

“Good,” Mahariel replied and Anora almost glanced back. The sudden weariness in her voice was alarming.

“Do you _see_ his death as a possibility?” Riordan, his voice still a hoarse creaking thing. Anora did look now, turning to watch the two wardens.

Mahariel grimaced. “A possibility, yes. A last resort, is my hope.”

That she didn’t look at Anora as she spoke was something Anora found... encouraging. The elf woman was convincing, but clearly untrained in politics. That something beyond political necessity stayed her hand gave Anora a treacherous glimmer of hope.

Riordan sounded reproving when he spoke, as though addressing a recalcitrant child, “It would be a wasteful last resort, then.”

Anora hid a smile as Mahariel’s spine stiffened and she halted her pacing.

“And what do you mean by that?”

“Only that we are few in number, and there is a Blight on Denerim’s doorstep. You would do better to recruit the man than to kill him.”

Laughter bubbled up in Anora’s throat at that, laughter that she stopped only because it felt tinged with hysteria. Recruit her father into the Wardens? Andraste’s holy handkerchief but that... that would simply take the catch on this whole year.

Mahariel, for her part, seemed as startled by the proposition as Anora herself.

“I- well, but how? We cannot do a Joining. Can we?”

Riordan smiled crookedly, and patted his chest. His eyes flicked briefly to Anora and he said simply, “I can.”

“You can? But-“ Mahariel fell silent as Riordan jerked his head. At her again, Anora realized. Pfah. Secrets. Wardens and their damned secrets.

“Well,” she put in smoothly, as Mahariel regained her composure, “I admit I hope it will not come to such drastic measures but it is always good to have plans in reserve, yes?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Mahariel sounded distracted as she resumed pacing the length of the balcony.

Riordan smiled at Anora with sickening sympathy, “Indeed it is, Your Majesty.”


End file.
